To represent a people, you need the people to send you. It is a show of arrogance to boycott the people and force yourself on them by fraudulently thumb printing and writing results to get yourself elected.
Shortly after the February 16 general elections was postponed, it became apparent that PDP had imported election materials from China to be used to rig and manipulate the elections. This is in addition to earmarking N10million per ward in Bende LGA, for vote buying and corruption of voting officials.
Having witnessed their unpopularity and the people’s desire to vote them out for their gross underperformance in Abia state, the PDP decided to ignore the people. Various PDP political leaders in Bende turned their private homes into polling units where they resorted to thumb-printing and writing election results. They reduced their campaigns because their confidence is not in the people but in the fraudulent rigging mechanisms they have put in place.
This is in sharp contrast to the conduct of APC in this election season. Despite being the ruling party with access to all the security agencies including the Army, DSS and the Police, the APC has not used them to harass or intimidate the people. APC recognizes the people’s right to decide for themselves and respects their right to a free and fair election.
It is a given that representation has to be as determined by the people. Actions of electoral fraud by any candidate is a raw display of arrogance and neglect of the right of the people to choose who is to represent them. Bende must participate in this conversation and rise up to condemn this in the coming election by voting in a man close to the people not an alien to the pains and sufferings of the Constituency.
Bende must rise up and say no to PDP’s display of arrogance. When the elections finally hold on February 23, Bende must vote against this outrageous, systemic and brazen disenfranchisement of the people.
